‘I was one of the worst’: Chelsea star Reece James reveals how he nearly left Chelsea before he became a key player
Reece James has disclosed that he almost got let go by Chelsea during his teenage years. Despite joining the club at eight years old, he has now become an important member of the first team as a right-back.
At 23 years of age, Reece James is now considered one of the top academy products at his club, and a regular starter for manager Graham Potter.
However, James has recently revealed that he came close to being released by Chelsea, despite his loan stint at Wigan.
Speaking to the England website, he said: “I ended up staying at Chelsea the whole time once I joined, but there was probably a stage where I was close to getting released around the age of 15 or 16.
“I was probably one of the worst in the group and they were unsure of how I was going to develop.
“They took a gamble on me by giving me a contract and I had to work hard to prove to people that I can play and achieve what I want to achieve.”
Chelsea has benefited greatly from offering Reece James a professional contract, as the Englishman has gone on to become a valuable player for both club and country.
Reece James played his first senior match for Chelsea in September 2019, in a Carabao Cup game versus Grimsby Town.
He scored his first goal in that game and went on to make 36 additional appearances that season, despite being young and inexperienced. He quickly became an essential player for the team.
The next season, James played a critical role in the Champions League final against Manchester City, which Chelsea won.
He then went on to achieve success in the Super Cup and Club World Cup competitions. However, injuries have recently slowed his progress.
‘I was one of the worst’: Chelsea star Reece James reveals how he nearly left Chelsea before he became a key player
